Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-10-30
Sunday, October 80, 1887.
STRENGTH AND ITS SOURCE.


but il is not 80 generally considered
that only through long, patient and
continuous effort can il be obtained
II is thought Of rather as a happy &C
cidgut, or a native gilt, To be passively
grateful for, than a. natJral and
certain result Of toll and striving. We
congratulate the strong man pn bis
strength, but rarely praise or honor
him on that sccount;we pity the weak
man for his weakness. but 1t would
seem cruel to mingle blame or fepronf
with our pity. Yet the truth Is that
human strength can beearned through
human energy. II is not always
gift which nature showers upon some
and denies to others, but often grad
ual development of the individual,
going on in accordance with the active
efforts and earnest struggles which he
puts forth from day t. day.
Take bodily strength for example;
the infant gains it through constant
motion, the boy through active play,
the nan through toll, tug and burden.
Let these cease aud strength will
cease developing; let them be relaxed,
il will decline. No one can have the
strength % take long walks and bard
climbs who does not put forth in ac'
tive effort, from time TO time, VIVA tev-
er forse he has. No one has the
strength to endure unusual toll and
hardship who has not struggled man
fully in past conflicts. Bodily idle
ness rs inevitably results in bodily
weakness. The day Is happily well
past when women prided themselves
upon heir physical frsiIty; but many
still continue 10 be feeble and call it
their misfortune, when quite often II
is only the necessary cousequc. c. OF
languid iuactlon.
This is equally manifest in the meu-
tai condition. The strong mind is one
which has accumulated power
through bard mental activity. Much
earnest study, much effort of thought
and many tusse. with self.indulgence
and love Of Ease, many struggle with
difficulties and obstacles, have COM
bined TO give il that vigorous force
and elasticity which is to its possessOr
50 valuable n boon. We look with
pleasure upon the man thus ia vored.
We admire his clear thought, his
sound Judgment, his keen dlscrimina-
ton; Se envy the ease with which he
detects the point Of an argument, or
solves an intricate question, or applies
q principle; bat we do not see, and
seldom even imagine, what toll and
patience may have been the source Of
this mental strength. On the other
hand the man who has never learned
to control bis thoughts and compel
them to work, who has shrunk from
difficulty and indnged in lazy and
idle reverie, must expect to be weak
minded, he has denied to his intellect
the very food which it needs to build
it up and strengthen it, OF course
there are few exceptionally gifted
persons, TO whom this exertion Is only
pleasure, but most ofus must learn
our strength Of mind by steadfsst toll
and some self-denial.
Moral strength also is gained chiefly
through struggles Of the moral nature.
Every time temptation is resisted, an
evil inclination conquered, duty per.
formed, moral strength is accumulated.
The one whom all men honor for his
virtue and integrity, to whom wrong
doing seems to offer no attraction, and
who performs each duty as II arises,
apparently without an effort, has not
gained this power by treading iiowery
beds Of ease. 1t has come to him
through effort and sacrifice, and the
more 1t has cost the greater the re-
ward. The poor weak victim Of temp
tation and indulgence, who is power.
less to deny his appetite or subdue a
craving, or to resist the persuasion OF
an evil companion, Is indeed to be
pitied bat his deplorable condition il
due to long years Of moral idleness,
during which he has drifted into evil,
instead Of having stemmed the cur
rent and resolutely pressed forward In
the opposite direction.
If this Is so-if strength IL only TO be
obtained through effort-it may change
the aspect of some things we are accus-
toned to look upon only a. calamlties
and hardshlps. The very obstacles
which have hindered our course may
have afforded the best opportunities
for developing the courage and accum-
ulating the power which we need "a
pursue IL. The trials which have been
80 hard TO bear have called out the